Kofi Tonto, spokesperson for former Vice President and New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has criticised the conviction of the party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, arguing that the wrong people are being held responsible in the fight against illegal mining.
Speaking during an interview, Kofi Tonto questioned the basis of the conviction, insisting that those who directly engage in illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey, should face prosecution rather than individuals alleged to be financiers or kingpins.
To illustrate his point, Tonto compared the situation to an armed robbery, saying it would be unreasonable to allow the person who carried out the crime to escape punishment while prosecuting someone else instead.
“It is a useless argument,” he said. “The person who pointed the gun at me, who nearly killed me or killed somebody, should go scot free.”
According to him, there is broad national agreement that galamsey has caused significant environmental destruction and should be treated as a serious offence.
However, he argued that justice should focus first on those who physically carry out the illegal mining operations.
“We have all said galamsey is treasonous. But the person who committed the treason should go scot free, and then we should go look for a so-called kingpin?” he questioned.
Tonto maintained that prosecuting alleged financiers while those directly involved in illegal mining remain free sends the wrong message and undermines efforts to tackle the problem effectively.
He stressed that law enforcement agencies should ensure everyone involved in the illegal mining chain is held accountable based on credible evidence.
